FABRICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF PZT THERMOPLASTIC POLYMER COMPOSITES FOR HIGH-FREQUENCY PHASED LINEAR ARRAYS/

A new method of fabricating PZT/polymer composites with 2-2 connectivi ty is described. This fabrication technique offers significant advanta ges over conventional dice-and-fill fabrication methods, and the compo sites exhibit the high electromechanical coupling expected from conven tional PZT/polymer composites. In this method, thin (less than or equa l to 20 mu m) sintered PZT plates and sheets of a thermoplastic polyme r film (less than or equal to 6 mu m) are bonded together via thermal processing. A technique for sintering thin, flat PZT plates from tape cast materials was developed to provide the necessary PZT plates. The resulting composite blocks were cut to required dimensions, electroded , and poled. Electromechanical properties were measured to evaluate th e composites.